By Any Measure: Using Data to Take Your Social Media Strategy to the Next Level

BY ANY MEASURE TAKING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

LYNDAL CAIRNS for the Nonprofit Technology Network

Let the data tell you what people would if only you could ask them.

ERIC MARTIN VISION MAKER MEDIA

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Setting your goals

Education

Money

Growth

Growth goals • Community increase

• Reach of messages

• Increased engagement

• Email/SMS lists

Social media follower/fan counts.

Network mapping, website analytics.

Qualitative research, social CRM, surveys.

Subscription numbers, website analytics funnel data.

Education goals • Understanding of issue

• Capacity for change

• Influence of champions

• Linking your organization with issue

Surveys, social listening, quantitative research.

Petitions, campaign newsletter signups, campaign page likes.

Influence mapping, social CRM, link tracking.

Social listening, SEO.

Money goals • Donor capacity

• Event/product sales

• Return on Investment

• Partnerships and grants

Surveys, social listening, quantitative research.

Sales, funnel abandonment.

Staff time, ad spend, Google Grants.

Network mapping, website analytics.

Tools of the trade • Your website is the font of all wisdom

Connect Google Analytics and understand it. Set up goals and funnels.

Consider microsurveys to find out about your visitors.

• Use trackable links Bit.ly, Hootsuite and Buffer.

Consider special links for your champions.

• Social analytics Bespoke analytics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest.

Third-party tools like Google Alerts, Followerwonk, Meltwater Buzz, MozAnalytics, Social Mention.

HubSpot’s Marketing Grader.

• Social CRM High-end: cookies and AgoraPulse.

Low-end: spreadsheets, Salesforce/CiviCRM.

• Social listening Sentiment tools, Social Mention, Google Alerts, search.

Plan to innovate • Schedule time for reporting

At least once a month. Use paid tools only once its worth has been established.

• Target and test Split your audience, trial different headlines.

• Timing is vital Take notice of best practice for timing your posts. But do your own testing too!

• Time is money Don’t forget to include staff time in your RoI calculations.

• Your CRM is only as good as your data Think about uses before you start collecting. Ask for more information from your champions. Data hygiene.

• Link your tools Use website analytics to track email click-throughs and shortlinks.

• Be agile Test and tweak as you go. Report on the fly and incorporate what you’ve learned.

Reporting

• Schedule time for reporting At least once a month. Match your goals with RoI.

• Automate what you can Find tools that align to your goals. Lean on your CRM.

• Make your data meaningful Dataviz tools ie: Infogr.am, Google Charts. Make it presentable – even if it’s only you who will see it.

• Mash online and offline data

Use research for qualitative data. Ask your donors and supporters why they love you.

What about gaps in data? Look at best practice Ask your colleagues. Think around it.

Social media is good for disseminating “share-able” content and staying in touch with your audience, but its not the end-all-be-all of audience engagement. In our case, much of the deep engagement with our platform is happening in classrooms and community meetings – and doesn’t always show up on social media. Define how you want audience to engage with your project. Social media may be just one part of a larger strategy.

LUISA DANTAS BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN FILMMAKER

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